It’s a scramble every year to tie down the films we want from Cannes when we can’t see them until a fortnight before our deadline, but somehow we’ve done it again. Our programmer Sandra Reid went into Cannes knowing a handful of titles would be held back for the US Awards seasons, but otherwise it was a matter of zeroing in on everything else that looked exciting. Which was a lot. Obviously. We’ve emerged with a fantastic variety, from outrageous comedy, to meditative Thai art cinema to a charming French memoir of youthful love and adventure. 

From the Competition

Winning the award for Best Director, Hou Hsiao-hsien's The Assassin arrives on New Zealand shores this winter alongside Jury Prize winner The Lobster and The Measure of a Man, which won the Best Actor prize for Vincent Lindon's moving performance.

Adding to the NZIFF line-up from the Official Competition is Nanni Moretti's Mia madre, Kore-eda's Our Little Sister and the wicked Tale of Tales from Matteo Garrone. 

Un Certain Regard

The Un Certain Regard category at Cannes supplements the competition selection by recognising fresh talent and daring new films, and we are delighted to confirm three titles from this section.

Fans of Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives) will want to bookmark the entrancing Cemetery of Splendour. Also keeping a gentle pace is Lamb, the first Ethiopian film to play Cannes, and Rams, an Icelandic comedy/drama that was the jury and audience favourite in the Un Certain Regard section. 

Out of Competition

Never one to shy from the Incredibly Strange, Gaspar Noé's Love 3D has been added to Ant Timpson’s 2015 line-up. Also from Out of Competition is our early announcement title Amy from Asif Kapadia (Senna).

Directors' Fortnight

The Directors' Fortnight was super strong this year and provided us with the largest number of films (and some of the longest titles), notably the three-volume Arabian Nights by Miguel Gomes. The Brand New Testament, Embrace of the Serpent and Mustang also head to NZIFF along with My Golden Days and the previously announced Dope. And slashing its way in to the Incredibly Strange programme is Miike's Yakuza Apocalypse: The Great War of the Underworld.

Cannes Classics

Rounding out our direct-from-Cannes line-up is Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans from the Classics category. A lavishly illustrated doco that explores the making of Steve McQueen’s ill-fated Hollywood epic, Le Mans, McQueen fans and racing enthusiasts alike will revel in the records of a bygone era with the undisputed king of cool.

NZIFF programmes will be available in Auckland from Tuesday 23 June and in Wellington from Friday 26 June.

Tickets will be on sale in Auckland from Friday 26 June and in Wellington from Wednesday 1 July. Ticketing information will be available online at time of programme launch.